Emma Raducanu Advances to Second Round at Australian Open 2026

British number one Emma Raducanu said a nap and a walk along the river in Melbourne helped her prepare for her first-round win at the Australian Open. The 23-year-old overcame a shaky start to ultimately sail past Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the second night session on Margaret Court Arena. Seeded at a major for the first time since the 2022 US Open, Raducanu looked sluggish as she dropped serve early on against the world number 196. But the former US Open champion eventually found her rhythm, reeling off seven games in a row on her way to a 6-4 6-1 victory - finishing just before 11pm local time. "I had a potter around Melbourne this morning by the river, had a nap, came out and the atmosphere was electric," Raducanu said in her on-court interview. "I want to thank everyone for staying out so late. The support was incredible on both sides." Raducanu will face Austrian Anastasia Potapova next, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka potentially lying in wait in the third round. Raducanu had previously questioned the logic of schedule a men's best-of-five sets match on the same court before her match. Expecting a late start Raducanu booked a late-night training session on Saturday to prepare for the cooler, slower night-time conditions. But it was perhaps an earlier start than she anticipated, with men's 10th seed Alexander Bublik claiming a commanding straight-set win over American Jenson Brooksby in just over two hours. "The preparation started yesterday - I booked a court from 21:15 to 23:15 and it was the latest I've ever practised," Raducanu said. "It's different to the day - it's a lot slower and colder, the ball doesn't travel as much through the air or as high bouncing. "I got used to it a bit yesterday and I'm really happy I did that. You need to switch on at the right time but not too early so you don't expend too much energy."